Apparatus for distilling metallic ores and metal-bearing materials.



c. H. FULTON & T. M. BAINS, In. APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING METALLIC ORES AND METAL BEARING MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6. I9l7..

1,242,340. Patented Oct. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fig 6 MM WW6 C. H. FULTON & T. M. BAINS, 1n. APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING METALLIC ORES AND METAL BEARING MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16. 917.

1,242,340. Patented Oct. 9,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. H. FULTON & T M. BAINS, 1n.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING METALLIC ORES AND METAL BEARING MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16. I917.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

CHARLES H. FULTON AND THOMAS M. BAINS, JR., OF'ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO METALLURGICAL LABORATORIES, INCORPORATED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING METALLIC ORES AND METAL-BEARING MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Originalapplication filed January 24, 1917, Serial No. 144,139. Divided and this application filed March 16, 1917. Serial No. 155,223

'10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. FULTON and THOMAS M. BAINS, Jr., citizens of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Distilling Metall c Ores and Metal-Bearing Materials, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for distilling ores and metal-bearing materials.

The main object of the invention 1s to provide an efficient apparatus of simple design forpracticing. the process for dlstillmg ores and metal-bearing materials described in our pending application Serial N 0. 144,139, filed January 24, 1917.

Another object is to provide a compact distilling apparatus comprising, a distilling furnace and a condenser combined 1n such a manner that a number of condensers can be arranged one above the other.

. Another object of the invention 1s to pro-- vide a distilling furnace whose dlstllhng space or chamber is of such form that a furnace of large capacity can be built in a small space and the heat from the furnace conserved and utilized to heat a condenser.

And still another object is to provide an electric distilling furnace that is provlded with a plurality of distilling chambers, each of which is independent of the others and capable of being separately controlled. Other objects of the invention Wlll be hereinafter pointed out.

In the process described 1n our pending application previously referred to metallic ore or metal-bearing material is formed into briquets that will retain substantrallytheir original form and volume when sublected to a distilling temperature, and said briquets are then fed through a distilling chamber, either continuously or intermittently, the briquets beingheated while they are 1n the distilling chamber, contained in same. Thereafter, the metal vapor evolved in the distilling operation is so as to distil the metal.

treated so as to recover the metal in same.

'Our present invention consists in an apin the distilling operationand means for,

feeding the briquets into and through the distilling chamber of the furnace in such a manner that the briquets act as a continuous resistor between the electrodes of the furnace. The heating of the briquets is pref-' erably effected by passing a current of electricity through the briquets, while they are in the distilling chamber, so as to develop sufficient heat within the briquets t-o practically completely distil the metal contained in the briquets, but the briquets can be heated in other ways without departing from the spirit of our invention. If desired, the apparatus, whether it be provided with an electric furnace or any other type of distilling furnace, can be equipped with a means for preheating the briquets so as to dry same and drive off the volatile matter, in case a hydrocarbon binding material 'is used in the process of forming the ore or material into briquets. The apparatus may also be provided with a baking chamber through which the briquets'are passed before being introduced into the distilling chamber of the furnace, so as to bake the briquets sufficiently to make them good conductors of electricity. The process described in our pending application previously referred to is applicable to the distillation and recovery of zinc, mercury, antimony, bismuth and otherfrnetals, either from their ores or from material containing such metals or their compounds, and while we have herein illustrated'an apparatus that is designed to be used for the recovery of zinc from ores or any zinc-bearing material in the form of metallic zinc, we wish it to be understood that our improved apparatus is not limited to this particular use.

In using our process in the recovery of zinc from zinc ore, We first form zinc-bearing ore .into briquets in the manner described in U. S. Patent No. 1,193,680, to

Charles H. Fulton, dated August 8, 1910, which, briefly described, consists in combining hard coal tar pitch or any other suitable binder with finely divided zinc ore and coke, so as to form a mixture of the three, then heating said mixture, so as to cause the particlcs of ore and coke to be covered with the binder, and thereafter, forming said mixture into briquets of any desired shape in suitable molds in which they are subjected to a high pressure,preferably upward from 500 pounds to the square inch, to solidify the mixture and form it into as firm and compact a mass as possible. If an hydrocarbon binder is used, the briquets are heated either in a separate heating apparatus or in the distilling apparatus, so as to dry the briquets and drive off the volatile hydrocarbon of the binder, thus producing briquets each of which consists of a large number of ore particles embedded in a coke matrix, which briquets will maintain both their form and volume during the distilling operation. It is immaterial, so far as our invention is concerned, how the briquets are formed. so long as they are of such a character that they will not disintegrate during the distilling operation or shrink away from the electrodes of the furnace, in case an electric distilling furnace is used. It is also immaterial whether said briquets are formed from zinc ore or from material that contains zinc.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of an apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention for practising our improved process of continuously distilling metallic ores and metal-bearing materials.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofsaid apparatus.

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views, taken on the lines 33 and -'t of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the bottom electrodes of the furnace.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the top electrodes of the furnace; and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view, illustrating the means that we prefer to use for insuring a good electrical contact between the electrodes of the furnace and the briqu Refe rring to the drawings, which illustrate'tlie preferred form of our invention, A and A designate two cylindrical shells that are arranged in an upright position on a supporting structure B, so as to form the outer and inner walls, respectively, of an electric furnace that surrounds a condenser in which the metal vapors are condensed, if metallic zinc is being produced, or a. collector into which air is blown if the apparatus is used for manufacturin b oxid. In the furnace herein shown the a nular space between the shells A and A is divided into a number of segmental-shaped distilling chambers 1 by means of partitions 2. The condenser is formed by a plurality of tubular-shaped members 3 arranged inside of the inner shell A of the furnace. The tubular-shaped members 3 of the condenser are arranged one within the other and are spaced apart so as to form a number of annular passageways, and the inner wall A of the furnace is provided with openings 4 located at the upper end of the distilling chambers 1, so as to permit the gases and vapors evolved in the distilling operation to enter the condenser, the tubular members 3 of the condenser bein provided with openings 5 arranged in SHOE a manner that the metallic vapor will follow a tortuous path in traveling through the condenser, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and will sweep over the condensing surfaces formed by the members 3. The condenser is constructed of high temperature resisting material that will not be affected to any extent by the metallic vapor, and the furnace is formed from refractory material. Openings 4H are formed in the inner wall A of the furnace at the lower end of the distilling chambers 1, so as to permit any spelter that collects in said chambers to flow from same into the condenser, and the condenser is so constructed that any spelter which collects on the bottom 6 of the condenserwill eventually flow to a spelter tap 7 located at the center of said bottom, as shown in Fig. 1.

Each of the distilling chambers 1 is provided at its upper and lower ends with electrodes 8 and 8 that form part of an electric circuit, and means is provided for feeding briquets w of the character previously described into and through the distilling chambers 1 of the furnace in such a manner that each distilling chamber will be provided with one or more columns of briquets that electrically connect the top and bottom electrodes 8 and 8 of said chamber, thereby causing the briquets in the distillin chambers of the furnace to be heated su 'ciently to practically completely distil the metal in same when a current of, electricity is passed through the circuit. The electrodes 8 and 8 can be formed in various ways. They consist of segmental-shaped members formed from carbon, graphite or other good electrical conducting and heat-resisting material, and they are arranged in such a manner that they form the top and bottom walls of the distilling chambers 1. The apparatus herein shown is so designed that each distilling chamber 1 will be provided with two parallel columns of briquets that can be moved upwardly through the chamber, and therefore, each bottom electrode 8 and each top electrode 8 is provided with two holes of. the same cross-sectional shape as the briquets. It is immaterlal, so far as our broad idea is concerned, how the bri nets are introduced into the distilling cham ers and fed through said chambers, and it is also immaterial whether the briquets are fed intermittently or continuously. In the apparatus herein shown the briquets are introduced into the distilling chambers intermittently and the columns of briquets are fed upwardly through the distilling chambers progressively, thereby enabling the distilling operation to be accurately controlled by increasing or decreasing the speed at which any column of briquets is fed through the furnace. One means that may be used for feeding the briquets into the distilling chambers and moving the columns of briquets upwardly through said chambers consists of a number of reciprocating feeding devices 9,'one for each distilling chamber, arranged underneath the bottom electrodes 8 of the furnace and constructed in such a manner that two briquets can be positioned on each feeding device, as shown in Fig. 1. Each feeding device is provided with a piston 10 that is arranged in a cylinder 11 to which an operating medium, under control of the operator in charge of the apparatus, can be admitted and exhausted through pipes 12, so as to raise or lower the device 9, and clamping devices C of any suitable form are provided for sustaining the briquet columns in the various distilling chambers when the feeding devices 9 are moved downwardly into position to receive briquets, preparatory to the operation of introducing briquets into the furnace. A clampin device C is provided for each distilling c amber, each of the clamping devices herein shown consisting of a two-part clamp whose stationary element 13 is carried by the supporting structure B of the furnace and whose movable element 14 can be moved toward or away from the stationary element, by tightening or loosening a nute15 on a bolt 16. In introducing the briquets into the furnace two briquets are arranged in operative position on one of the feeding devices 9, and said device is then moved upwardly, so as to cause the briquets on same to bear against the bottombriquets of the briquet columns in the distilling chamber with which said feeding device cooperates. The movable""e1ement of the clamping device C, which coiiperates with that particular feeding device, is then released, and

thereafter the feedlng device is moved upwardly farther, so as to raise the two 001- umns of briquets in the distilling chamber and bring the two briquets on the feeding deviceinto alinement with the clamping device C. Thereafter, the movable element of said clamping device is tightened, so as to clamp the briquets positioned on the feeding device, and thus sustain the column of briquets supported by same, when the feeding device 9 is lowered into position to receive another charge of briquets.

The holes in the electrodes 8 and 8, through which the briquet-s pass, are large enough to compensate for slight inequalities in the briquets and permit the briquets to pass through same freely, and in order to electrically connect the electrodes with the briquet columns and insure a good electrical contact between said electrodes and briquet columns at all times, both when the briquets are stationary and when the are traveling past the electrodes, we prefer to make the holes in the electrodes slightly tapered or of conical form, as shown in Fig. 7 and fill the space between the sides of said holes and the exterior of the briquets positioned in the holes with granular conduct ing material y, such, for example, as graphite or carbon. The to electrodes are ar-' ranged in such aposition that granular graphite or carbon can be introduced into the briquet holes in same through the openings in the top of the fhrnace through which the briquets are discharged, but the bottom electrodes are arranged in such a position that it is preferable to form ducts or passageways 17 in the outer wall A of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to permit granular graphite or carbon to be supplied easily to the bottom electrodes.

As previously stated, the apparatus is provided with a preheating chamber in 100 which raw briquets can be arranged, so as to dry same, drive off the hydrocarbons of low melting point and increase the compressive strength ofthe briquets, and also a baking oven in which the briquets can be baked 105 sufficiently to make them good conductors of electricity. One convenient way of constructing the appartus is to form an annular preheating chamber 1) in the upper end of the outer shell A of the furnace, so as to 110 utilize the heat that radiates from the briquets after they have passed out of the dis tilling chamber 1 to heat the raw briquets arranged in said chamber 1). A baking oven E can be formed at the lower end of 115 the furnace directly beneath the distilling chambers 1, so that the briquets will be baked duringthe time immediately precede. 7 ing their entrance into the distilling chambers by the heat transmitted to same from ,12 .l

the briquet columns in thedistilling chambers. If desired, a briquetcai rier l8-consisting of a pan of annular form can be arranged in the preheating chamber D, so as to permit said pan to beloaded with raw 1 5 briquets, lifted by a crane or other suitable device into the preheating chamber, and thereafter removed from the preheating chamber, after the briquets have been dried. The baking oven E is formed by the annular .130

space between the walls of the furnace that lies below the bottom electrodes 8 of the furnace, said oven being preferably divided into a number of sections or compartments, corresponding in number to the distilling chambers, by means of the partitions 2, previously described. Any volatile hydrocarbons that remain in the briquets after they have been dried in the preheating chamber D are driven off in the baking oven E, the gases escaping from said baking oven through ducts 19, shown in Fig. 1, that extend upwardly through the outer wall A of the furnace to a cooling chamber F arranged above the top electrodes 8 of the furnace. By constructing the furnace in this manner a pressure of hydrocarbon gas is maintained in the baking oven E and in the cooling chamber F, so as to prevent the metallic vapors from escaping from the distilling chambers through the joints between the briquets and the top and bottom electrodes. Furthermore, the pressure of hydrocarbon gas in the cooling chamber F eliminates the possibility of air entering the distilling chambers. If desired, a water jacket G can be arranged at the upper end of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to cool the briquets as they are being discharged from the furnace, the briquets being preferably arranged on the cover 18 of the briquet holder 18 in the preheating chamber D as soon as they are discharged from the furnace, so as to assist in heating the raw briquets and also facilitate the removal of the residue of the distilling operation.

If the furnace is designed for use with a three-phase connection of the Y-type, three of the bottom electrodes 8 will be connected by means of carbon or graphite connections 20 with a neutral conductor 20, and the other three bottom electrodes will be connected by means of carbon or graphite connections 21 with supply conductors 21*, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. The top conductors 8 are connected in pairs by connections 24, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. When the current is turned on, the current conveyed to the bottom electrodes by the supply conductors 21" will pass upwardly through the columns of briquets that cooperate with said electrodes, to the top electrodes at the upper end of said columns, thence through the connections 24 to the top electrodes of the columns of briquets that cooperate with the bottom elec trodes to which the neutral conductor 20 is connected and down said columns to said neutral conductor. It is, of course, immaterial how the electric current is supplied to the columns of briquets in the furnace, so long as the electrical resistance of the briquets is such as development within the charge itself to practically completely distil the metal thereto cause a sufficient heat from. If desired, the electrodes of the furnace can be connected up with the sup 1y circuit in such a manner that each distilling chamber of the furnace constitutes a separate unit that can be independently controlled.

In starting a cold furnace it is preferable to use columns of thoroughly baked briquets of coke and pitch in the distilling chambers until the furnace is raised to normal working temperature. Thereafter, ore briquets or electrodes of the kind previously described are fed into and through the furnace. When the apparatus is in normal operation, raw briquets, namely, briquets that have not been heated or dried, are arranged in the briquet carrier 18, and said carrier is then positioned by means of a crane or other suitable device in the preheating chamber D. Some of the volatile matter in the carbonaceous binding material in the briquets is driven off by the heat to which the briquets are subjected while they are in the preheating chamber D, and the remainder of said volatile matter is driven off in the baking oven E. The distilled briquets, as they are discharged from the upper end of the furnace, are placed upon the cover of the briquet carrier 18, either manually, or by a mechanical unloading device, and after said carrier has received a load of distilled briquets, it is removed from the preheating chamber by means of a crane or other lifting device. Thereafter, the preheated briquets are removed from the carrier 18 and introduced into the furnace intermittently by the feeding devices 9 as the distilling process proceeds. In traveling upwardly through the baking oven E the briquets become thoroughly baked, so that they are good electrical conductors at the time they enter the distilling chambers. The briquets are relatively cool at the time they enter the distilling chambers of the furnace, usually at a temperature of about 700 C., but in traveling upwardly through said distilling chambers the current of electricity that passes through the briquet columns causes the temperature of the briquets to be raised gradually, so that by the time each briquet has reached the upper end of the distilling chamber in which it is arranged, practically all of the metal contained in the briquet will have been distilled out of same.

he zinc vapors evolved in the distilling operation pass from the furnace into the condenser, wherein they are converted into spelter, and the carbon monoxid is allowed to escape from the upper end of the condenser. If desired, the carbon monoxid can be used either to preheat raw briquets or to heat a second condenser arranged above the condenser from which said carbon monoxid escapes.

With a continuous distilling apparatus I of the construction above described we obtain a constant flow of zinc vapor from the distilling furnace into the condenser, and thus secure better condensation than is possible with an apparatus in tilling operation is interrupted from time to time to remove the residue from the distilling furnace and introduce a new charge into same. Another desirable feature of such an apparatus is that a constant potential current can be used to operate the furnace, owing to the fact that it is not necessary to gradually heat up the furnace and then rapidly increase the current, so as to raise the briquets to a distilling temperature, as is necessary in a furnace in which the ore or zinc-bearing material is distilled in batches. The speed of distillation and the rate of distillation can be accurately controlled in our improved apparatus and the phases of the circuit can be kept balanced, by increasing or decreasing the speed of feeding any certain column of briquets. By increasing the speed at which any column of briquets is fed through the furnace the resistance of said column will be increased, due to the introduction into the circuit of briquets that are not completely baked, and which have a higher resistance than thoroughly baked briquets. The resistance of the briquets' decreases rapidly with the increase in temperature up to about 7 00 (1., so that by increasing the speed at which the briquets are introduced into the furnace, cooler briquets of higher resistance will be introduced into the circuit. In addition to the desirable features above pointed out, our improved apparatus materially reduces the labor cost of distilling ores andmetal-bearing materials, owing to the manner in which the material is introduced into the furnace and removed therefrom; only a few operatives are required to run an apparatus of great capacity and an'apparatus of great capacity can be built in a comparatively small space, on account of the factthat the distillin space or chamber of the furnace is of en stantially annular form and: surrounds a condenser which is heated by the heat that radiates from the furnace. The briquet columns may be introduced either vertically or horizontally, or in any other manner, without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A distilling apparatus, comprising a distilling chamber, means for causing molded objects containing metal that is to, be distilled to enter, travel through and emerggfrom said chamber, means for heating said objects while they are in said distilling chamber, and means for treating the products of the distillation. v

which the dis-' 2. A distilling apparatus, comprising a distilling chamber having an entrance open ing and an exit, means for sustaining a column of briquets containing metal to be distilled in said chamber in such a manner that said column is positioned in said entrance opening and exit, means for feeding said column through said chamber as the distilling operation proceeds, and means for treating the products of the distillation.

3. A distilling apparatus, comprising a distilling chamber, means for feeding briquets containin metal that is to be distilled into-and t rough said chamber, means for heatin the briquets while they are in said chain er, and means for heating raw briquets prior to their introduction into said distilling chamber.

4. A distilling apparatus comprising a furnace provided with a plurality of separate and distinct distilling chambers, and a means cooperating with each of said chambers for feeding briquets that contain metal to be distilled into, through and out of the distilling chamber with which said means coiiperates.

5. A distilling apparatus, comprising a condenser, and a furnace provided with a distilling space that surrounds said condenser, said space being divided into a number of separate and distinct distilling chambers, each of which can be independently controlled.

6. An electric distilling furnace, comprising a distilling chamber provided with electrodes, and means for feeding briquets containing the substance to be distilled into said chamber so that they will form an electrical conductor that cooperates with said electrodes but which is spaced away from the side walls of the distilling chamber.

7. An electric distilling furnace provided with a distilling chamber, electrodes, and

means for causing a column of briquets that contain the substance to be distilled to travel through said chamber and form a continuous resistor between said electrodes when the furnace is in operation.

8. An electric distilling furnace, comprising a distilling chamber provided with electrodes and constructed in such a manner that a column of briquets containing the substance to be distilled can be arranged in said chamber so as to form a resistor between said electrodes, and-meansfor introducing fresh briquets into said chamber and feeding said column through said chamber.

9. An electric distilling furnace, compris ing a distilling chamber constructed in such a manner that a column of briquets containing the substance to be distilled can be arranged in same, means for sustaining sai column in said chamber, means for causing a current of electricity to pass through said column when the furnace is in operation,

and means for introducing fresh into said chamber and feeding said through said chamber.

10. An electric distilling chamber having an annular space for receiving columns of briquets that contain the substance to be distilled, means for introducing fresh briquets into said annular space and feeding said columns through said space without contacting with the walls of the same, and means for causing a current of electricity to pass through the briquets in said space so as to heat said briquets.

11. An electric furnace provided with an annular space for receiving columns of briquets containing the substance to be distilled, and a plurality of independently-eontrolled feeding devices for introducing fresh briquets into the furnace and for effecting the discharge of briquets that have been subjected to a distilling operation.

12. An electric distilling furnace, comprising a distilling chamber provided with electrodes that have openings therein, said electrodes being arranged adjacent the opposite ends of said distilling chamber, means for causing briquets containing the sub- -stance to be distilled to pass through the opening in the electrode at one end of said chamber, travel through said chamber and then pass through the opening in the other electrode and emerge from said chamber, and means for supplying electrical energy to said electrodes.

13. An electric furnace provided with a distilling chamber for receiving a column composed of briquets that contain the substance to be distilled, an electrode provided with an opening through which said column passes, and means separate and distinct from said column and electrode for establishing electrical connection between said column and said electrode.

14. An electric furnace, comprising a distilling chamber for receiving a column composed of briquets that contain the substance to be distilled, electrodes that cooperate with said column, means for feeding-said column through said chamber past said electrodes, and means for maintaining electrical connection between said electrodes and briquet column.

15. An electric furnace, tilling chamber, means for feeding a column of briquets containing the substance to be distilled through-said chamber, means for electrically heating said briquets while they are insaid chamber, and a cooling chamber through which said briquets pass after leaving said distilling chamber.

16. A distilling .furnace. comprising a distilling chamber for receiving a column of briquets containing the substance to be distilled, electrodes with which said column cooperate, means for feeding said column briquets column comprising a disthrough said chamber and introducing fresh briquets into the chamber, and means for baking the briquets before they are introduced into the distilling chamber so as to make them good conductors of electricity.

17. An apparatus for recovering the metal content of metallic ores and metal-lwaring materials, comprising an electric distilling furnace, a condenser surrounded by said furnace, means whereby briquets containing the material to be distilled can be introduced into said distilling furnace and the residue can be removed from said furnace without interrupting the distilling operation, and means for permitting the products of the distillation to pass from the distilling furnace into said condenser.

18. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising an electric distilling furnace of substantially annular form, a condenser surrounded by said furnace and aving a tortuous passageway through which the products of the distillation from the furnace travel, and means whereby briquets containing the substance to be dis tilled can be introduced into the furnace, moved through the distilling chamber of same, and discharged from said chamber intermittently without interrupting the distilling operation.

19. An electric distilling furnace, comprising a distilling chamber for receiving briquets containing the substance to be distilled, means for electrically heating the briquets arranged in said chamber, means for introducing fresh briquets into said chamber and removing distilled briquets therefrom from time to time without discontinuing the distilling operation, and a heating chamber in which raw briquets can be preheated and dried prior to the introductlon of said briquets into said distilling chamber.

20. A distilling furnace, comprising a distilling chamber, a baking oven, and a cooling chamber arranged in longitudinal alinement with each other, means for causing briquets containing the substance to be distilled to travel through said even and said distilling and cooling chambers when the furnace is in operation, and means for elec trically heating the briquets while they are in said distilling chamber.

21. A distilling furnace, comprising a distilling chamber, a baking oven, and a cooling chamber arranged in longitudinal alinement with each other, means for causing briquets containing the substance to be distilled to travel through said oven and said distilling and cooling chambers when the furnace is in operation, means for electrically heating the briquets while they are in said distilling chamber, and a passage way leading from said baking oven to said cooling chamber for receiving the gases driven off in the operation of baking the briquets arranged in said chambers, and an 10 briquets. independently-controlled feeding device for 22. An electric distilling furnace, comeach of said distilling chambers by which prising an annular portion divided into a fresh briquets can be introduced into said plurality of distilling chambers each of chambers and the columns of briquets can r which is adapted to receive columns of be fed through the chambers.

briquets that contain the substance to be distilled, means for passing a current of elec- CHARLES H. FULTON. tricity through the various columns of THOMAS M. BAINS, JR. 

